He strongly encouraged new students to get used to studying together because it’s better than studying alone. He said research shows that people who study and learn together are more successful at understanding what they are learning, better retain what they've learned, and develop more emotional intelligence, which is vital for long-lasting relational and professional success.

This made me think about the new series we started this weekend called Growing Together. We’re looking at the importance of Life Groups, where we meet regularly for community, support, and spiritual growth. Jesus taught, learned and connected in groups—and encouraged his followers to do the same.

Secular and spiritual wisdom are on the same page on this: groups are a necessary vehicle for growth.

If you are currently in a Life Group, thank you for making your group a priority in your spiritual life. Could you help us start some new groups? If you are not in a Life Group, would you say yes to starting or joining a group this September as part of our next series called The Good Life?

Do you want to grow deeper in your faith and help others do the same? Growing deeper requires that we grow together.

]]>Town Hall Q&Ahttps://www.journeyoffaith.com/journey-news/town-hall-qa/
https://www.journeyoffaith.com/journey-news/town-hall-qa/Fri, 05 Jul 2019 07:00:00 +0000We received about 180 RSVPs for the Town Hall Business Meeting. About 1/3 of those included questions which fell into a few specific categories. Pastor Jason’s answers are based on the broad overview of each topic and not responses to specific...Journey of FaithWe received about 180 RSVPs for the Town Hall Business Meeting. About 1/3 of those included questions which fell into a few specific categories. Pastor Jason’s answers are based on the broad overview of each topic and not responses to specific questions. We welcome continued conversation about these topics, and others, if you’re seeking clarity in any area.

Question: How is Torrance going? How are we doing with finding a permanent location? What are the plans for the next campus?

Torrance is going great! There is such a great attitude and excitement at Torrance. People who initially thought video would be a challenge, discovered right away that it isn’t. Volunteer involvement is really high – nearly half of our Torrance attenders are actively serving. We believe that the portable nature of the church is actually a strong reason why there’s so much ownership. Still, there’s room to grow in attendance. We are at 400-500 every week, but we believe that we have the missional potential to see 700-800 when Torrance is at full-force over the next few years. Not because we want more attendance, but because we know how many unchurched people are in Torrance. There are so many people in Torrance who left church years ago because it was weird, condemning, didn’t make sense or they got hurt, and many who have never been to church and don’t know what they are missing. You know those people in Torrance because they live right next to you and work with you. They haven’t heard of Journey of Faith yet or haven’t come. This is why we are asking you to invite them and they will love it. And we are working on how to make everything they experience great! About half of the people at Torrance have never been to our Manhattan Beach Campus. Torrance is Journey of Faith. It’s awesome!

Regarding a permanent home for Torrance, we have been researching locations in Torrance, starting within a 1.5 mile radius of Torrance High. We’re in discussions with property and building companies to find a location that fits our needs. We are working with someone from our church who is a real estate expert and helping explore options. Currently we are focusing on industrial options versus retail due to flexibility within the space and pricing. As you can imagine, price and available parking will be our biggest hurdles, but we’re confident God will provide the perfect solution. We hope to identify our new location by this fall and potentially move in by spring 2020. Alex Grahmann and our Executive Director of Operations, Sharon Peirce, are spearheading this work.

Regarding the next campus, Alex is not only our Torrance campus pastor, but also our multisite expansion leader right now. We’re already thinking ahead about what areas of the South Bay would be the best fit for our third campus. We’re hoping that the sequence would be finding a permanent home for Torrance, then launch plans for campus #3 soon afterward.

Question: How are we doing as a church (weekly attendance, membership) and has this changed since we started GO BEYOND?

We are really excited to see how engaged people are at our two campuses! Our weekly attendance averages between 2500-2800 people at our campuses every week. About 2200 of that is MB and 400 of that is Torrance. We’ve been looking at attendance trends with our Executive Team and Elder Board, and we’ve found overall attendance has been surprisingly steady, but because people don’t attend church as regularly as they used to 10 or 20 years ago, we go through bigger swings of higher and lower attendance – that’s probably why we feel it more dramatically than in the past. The truth is, though, that even though it may feel lower on one particular week or another, we’ve had some of our highest numbers in the history of our church in the past year! (We don’t look at week-to-week attendance, but averages over seasons.) We really believe that some of the changes we’ve made recently to focus on reaching people far from God and helping people get connected to groups and serving will help us grow a lot in the next few years.

Two more thoughts on church attendance patterns: First, it’s pretty normal to have shifts of attendance within the first 3-5 years of a church with new vision. God moves on people hearts to come and go and people use times like this to make changes. Second, the regularity of church attendance is down nationally. What I mean by this is that people walking into a church building every week of the year for church services is down. Nationally, people attend 1-2 Sundays a month (last decade it was more like 2-3 Sundays a month). So while we might have 2000 every week, we probably have 3000-4000 that call Journey their home. Interestingly, we have detailed individual check-in records from our Kids Ministry, so we can see patterns in attendance by individual, rather than just blind attendance numbers. This helps us see that our impact is much bigger than just the single week attendance. For instance, at Torrance, we have 60 kids one week and 60 kids the next, but they are different kids, so we are actually reaching many more children – it can be 60-70% different kids between the two weeks. We can use that data to extrapolate similar trends in our adults. The good news is that our church engagement is up. We started LIVESTREAMING services online and people are watching services while they are away or catching up midweek. People are excited about what God is doing here, want to be connected, and want to invite their unchurched friends. This is very much reflected in our giving, which is UP during this season.

Question: How are people doing with their GO BEYOND commitments?

Regarding GO BEYOND, people are engaged with and excited about our focus on the GO BEYOND vision. Giving is up and very strong. We are right on track with our GO BEYOND vision and commitments. The larger goal of GO BEYOND was to help people catch a vision for a generous life that would cause people to want to continue giving even beyond this initiative so we can keep reaching outward and see more people find and follow Jesus.

Question: Where does our giving go?

We have moved away from designated giving and are budgeting for the ministries that are part of fulfilling our mission, so when you give, we make sure that each ministry receives what’s needed to fulfill the ministry planned. There’s one area here some of you might have a question about, it called CENTRAL. Central refers to ministry that serves both of our campuses (things like finance, facilities, human resources, information technology, etc.). Sometimes we have different budgets for each campus, but there are some ministries that serve both (eventually all) campuses. But the big thing to remember is that this GO BEYOND vision is not something in addition to our church buget, it is our budget. We are building vision and ministry based on this giving and we are praying it continues.

Question: How is staff morale?

We are being very intentional as a team about communication, being vulnerable with each other, talking through things, and building healthy teams. We have a shared set of staff values that guide this. We’ve created this funny little acrostic, PLOSHÉ (Put God First, Live with Integrity, Own the Mission, Simplify to Thrive, Honor One Another and Engage to Resolve) to help focus our hearts and minds on what is most important for a healthy staff in this season. Also, because churches like ours go through changes about every 5-7 years, and we all deal with change in different ways, we are going through a book called The Change Cycle. It’s helping our team look at how we deal with organization changes and how we can help others through the process of change as well. We feel like we’re doing good at working together! We also have some new staff members who are very excited to be a part of this church family. There can be excitement, but the unknown can also create anxiety. We’re encouraging each other to talk through the changes and bring questions to light.

Question: Are we still supporting Global Outreach?

Absolutely, our mission statement and our GO BEYOND vision is rooted in Jesus’ words to go into the world and share the Good News. Lately, we’ve been talking a lot about sharing the Good News in the world right outside our doors (with our neighbors). That’s because sometimes people find it easy to give money to reach a remote population, yet they aren’t sharing Christ with the lost person right next door. We’ve really been leaning into that. Also, we are working harder to partner with our existing missionaries and mission agencies to see how we can be most effective in the world. Sometimes churches come up with ideas about where to go (“let’s do a mission trip here!”), but our missionaries and mission agencies are on the ground doing the work, we are talking to them more. That’s also why we’ve been doing fewer trips. The goal is not more trips, the goal is effective, impactful trips that allow the most people to go and make the best impact. A great example of this is the work we’ve been doing in Mexicali and working with Feed My Starving Children. Also, Alicia Allen, our Outreach Director is joining each of the global trips this year to better understand the process, systems, and how we can be raising up leaders for future ministry.

Question: We have been talking a lot about Life Groups. What are the actual plans to get 3500 people connected in Life Groups and when can we expect practical changes?

We have been talking a lot about Life Groups and it’s a big part of our mission as a church! I’m excited to say there have been major changes happening. First, Eugene Lee our Director of Groups, has met with almost all 60 Life Groups to get a sense of what’s working, and what we need to grow in. Second, we have been actively recruiting and training current and new life group leaders by creating a new volunteer structure. This structure will ensure that every group leader will receive care, be poured into, and can create good communication in their groups and with new people. Our plan is to start 30 new life groups this Fall. My hope and prayer is that some of you would consider hosting or facilitating a group. We are planning a 3-week sermon series at the end of Summer about finding spiritual community in groups. This series will feed into a Fall Kick-Off series which we hope everyone will experience in groups. If you want to be a part of this, you can reach out to Eugene (eugene.lee@journeyoffaith.com).

Question: We have Elders, Pastors, an Executive Team and Deacons? What do they all do? How many Elders do we have? Do we still have Deacons? What do they do?

I think we have a great model of shared leadership. Let me walk you through what that looks like. First, we have our congregation - we who call Journey of Faith our church. Among the congregation we have a leadership team of Elders; 5-7 men selected from our congregation. They provide leadership guardrails for the ministry of the church. Imagine you’re a rancher and you have a flock. You need fences to protect the flock. The Elders oversee the ministry from those fences: our core beliefs, our bylaws, overseeing budgets from staff, and helping with the big picture vision (and shepherding and holding me accountable). And we’re continually working on how to do that best. Then we have the leadership of our Executive Team. This is 6-7 of us on staff. We oversee the ministry of the church within those fences. And we are there to empower and help the other staff and ministry leaders. From there we have the church staff (an amazing team of gifted women and men) whose job is to equip people for ministry). Then we have all of our ministry leaders, coaches, captains, and volunteers who do all the ministry with all their gifts and abilities! That’s how Journey of Faith leadership works big picture.

Now over the years, Deacons have had different roles and responsibilities at Journey of Faith. The Bible does not give a job description to Deacons, just a character description. And for the most part, our Deacons are people who already serve in multiple other roles (i.e., ushering, worship, kids and student ministry, visitation.) So, every 5-6 years, the roles of the Deacons change as the church changes. Sometimes we have a lot of Deacons based on the need like three years ago, then other times not as many. We have a lot of new people volunteering now, so we’ll probably have fewer Deacons for the next few years. I’ll be talking with the Deacons specifically about those changes on July 7.

Question: What’s coming up?

Here’s a quick calendar of big things upcoming:

· Gadgets Kids Camp (June 24-28)

· Parenting Class (July 10-31)

· Stuff the Bus (July 13)

· Hume Lake (August 4 – 10)

· Seaside Lagoon (August 18)

· Life Groups Launch

· Fall Kick-Off

· Sermon Series - The Good Life (September 8-October 6)

· Pop-Up Pantry (September 22, November 24)

· Christmas weekend experience at RBPAC (December 20-22)

If you have any questions about anything shared in this article, please feel free to reach out to Blair Farley.

]]>Breaking Free from Our Unhealthy Patternshttps://www.journeyoffaith.com/journey-news/breaking-free-from-our-unhealthy-patterns/
https://www.journeyoffaith.com/journey-news/breaking-free-from-our-unhealthy-patterns/Fri, 03 May 2019 07:00:00 +0000Our memories of past experiences form patterns of expectation that can help or hurt our ability to deal with change.
One of the most significant changes in my life was the death of my father when I was 11 years old. It was devastating. The saving...Jason CusickOur memories of past experiences form patterns of expectation that can help or hurt our ability to deal with change.

One of the most significant changes in my life was the death of my father when I was 11 years old. It was devastating. The saving grace during this loss was my mother helping me grieve and navigate through all my thoughts and feelings. She did it so well that I ended up spending the first part of my career as a chaplain and care pastor, helping other people go through loss and change in their lives. What I learned from my own experience helped me develop patterns for navigating future losses in life.

Think about a significant memory from your own past. Here are some examples: being punished by your parents, graduating from school, a relationship break-up, loss of a loved one, a profound spiritual experience.

Now ask yourself: “What did I learn from this?”

Maybe what you learned was good:

“Hard work pays off.”“I can get through these kinds of things.”“People are there when you need them.”“God really cares about me.”

But maybe you walked away with unhealthy messages in your head:

“I did what everyone expected me to do and I’m still unhappy.”“People will hurt you if you let them get close.”“Life hurts bad.”“Other people are so much closer to God than me.”

Our memories of past experiences powerfully shape our expectations about the future. In their book The Change Cycle, Ann Salerno and Lillie Brock help people navigate and thrive through organizational change. Our church staff is reading this book and talking about its six stages of change. It’s not written from a Christian or spiritual perspective, but as I read the introduction, I found a significant connection to the New Testament about the topic of change.

It’s this little Greek word: schema.

Schema means “pattern.”

Salerno and Brock state that one of the biggest barriers to change in our places of employment is the pattern of thinking we’ve formed based on previous experience. They write: “unresolved thoughts and feelings about ‘how some things were handled’ in previous company changes are a significant reason employees can have a hard time believing or trusting their employer when new change is introduced” (p.10).

This is because our memories are strong. Our brains are these amazing machines working to make sense of the world to prepare us for what’s ahead. The authors go on to say: “Studies show that when we find out something novel is on the way – a new boss, an altered industry requirement, a changed product line, a reorganization – the brain begins searching its memory banks for clues about what might be forthcoming” (p.11). We say to ourselves:

“This is going to be good” or “this is going to be bad.” “This will be easy” or “this will be hard.”“I can trust” or “I can’t trust.”

And this is where that word “schema” comes into play. Cognitive psychologists refer to “schema” as the brain’s way of looking for “patterns” so we can find and act on similarities. Sometimes these patterns help us navigate and deal with change, other times they hurt us and make us less productive.

How does this relate to the New Testament? Paul, one of the great spiritual leaders of the first century, wrote to a group of Christians who were dealing with all kinds of conflicts with each other. He penned these words:

Anyone you forgive, I also forgive. And what I have forgiven—if there was anything to forgive—I have forgiven in the sight of Christ for your sake, in order that Satan might not outwit us. For we are not unaware of his schemes. 2 Corinthians 2:10–11

We all have schema: patterns of thinking, feeling, and acting… and so does our spiritual enemy. Unforgiveness, grudges, unresolved anger, fear, assumptions and lies are plots and patterns from our spiritual enemy that can easily keep us in unhealthy patterns of thinking, feeling, and acting.

One of the best ways to learn to navigate change is to be aware of our “patterns” of thinking, feeling, and acting. Then we can start reshaping our “schema” to be more aligned with God’s plans for our life.

Here’s some steps to help in breaking free from unhealthy patterns:

1. Acknowledge and call out your own unhealthy patterns of thinking, feeling, and acting. For example, maybe you have “black & white thinking” (you say always, never, and think in all or nothing categories). Catch yourself and say: “I said always but I know it’s not always. I’m reacting because I’m frustrated.” Or maybe you speak negatively to yourself. Instead of saying, “I’m so stupid,” say “Oops, I made a mistake.” Take some time and think about your personality, patterns, and growth areas.

2. Ask for help from trusted friends. Inviting others to help us change our patterns is important. This can also include mentoring and Christian counseling. I recently shared with a friend about a personal struggle I was having. I asked him, “Could you ask me about this on a regular basis? I want to change this in my life, but I need help.”

3. Work to resolve relationship conflicts. The Bible says, “Do all that you can to live in peace with everyone” (Rom. 12:18). Relationship conflicts usually grow through avoidance and third-party gossip. Having simple, face to face conversations with people can be just what is needed to create new patterns. Listening to understand, asking questions, getting more information, and seeing things from different perspectives are important keys to breaking patterns and moving through change.

4. Ask Jesus to break any “spiritual strongholds.” Sometimes there are big (and gnarly) patterns in our thinking, feeling, and acting that resemble stone walls of a castle. We need supernatural power to break them down. Abuse, addiction, trauma, and major losses in life can sometimes be followed by strong patterns of self-harm, bitterness, crippling anxiety, or other barriers to spiritual wellness. Jesus reminds us that we are loved no matter what we are going through and He is there to spiritually empower us and comfort us when we are feeling attacked. Pray for Jesus’ presence and power in your life.

A wise, older man of faith once said to me: “Change is the only constant in life. You can either be a student of change or a victim of change. Be a student.”

Jesus, I know I have patterns of thinking, feeling, and acting that keep me from living the full life you offer me. Thank you for loving me just as I am and with all my imperfections. Give me more insight into who you are and who you are making me to be. Help me to courageously invite others into my growth areas. Give me patience and love in my challenging, unresolved relationships. I surrender and will keep surrendering to you those unhealthy patterns in my life. Thank you for making me new every day. May I live in the fullness or your love and in obedience to you today. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

]]>The Role of Elder at Journey of Faithhttps://www.journeyoffaith.com/journey-news/the-role-of-elder-at-journey-of-faith/
https://www.journeyoffaith.com/journey-news/the-role-of-elder-at-journey-of-faith/Mon, 25 Mar 2019 07:00:00 +0000In a recent ENEWS, Pastor Jason talked about how we work as teams at Journey of Faith. We got great responses from that article along with a lot of really good questions about how leadership happens at Journey of Faith. So, we sat down with Chip...Jason CusickIn a recent ENEWS, Pastor Jason talked about how we work as teams at Journey of Faith. We got great responses from that article along with a lot of really good questions about how leadership happens at Journey of Faith. So, we sat down with Chip Adams, our new Lead Elder and asked him to say more about leadership, decision-making, and how we fulfill our mission as a church...

Chip, how long have you been at Journey of Faith? And how long have you been an elder?

My family and I have been at Journey of Faith for almost 12 years. I met my wife at a small church that met at a Holiday Inn in Torrance. I had known the Pastor of that church for over ten years and served on his leadership team for a few years. We came to Journey and immediately got plugged into Children’s Ministry. Our children were so blessed by the Children’s Ministry we felt obligated to help. But God turned that from an obligation to a ministry. We were leading small groups and teaching an occasional lesson or two. We served in Children’s Ministry for over seven years. Highlights have been three trips up to Wagon Train at Hume Lake spending a week of fun with a bunch of energetic kids and forming long-lasting friendships with other counselors.

I am now in the third year of my five-year term on the Board of Elders. I am humbled to be serving as the Chair this year.

What does it mean to be an “elder?”

Though most of us do, you don’t have to have grey hair or be bald to be an elder. The term “elder” comes from 1 Timothy 3:1-7 and Titus 1 in the New Testament. Both list qualities of an elder. One of my first assignments in the vetting process was to describe how I live up to the qualities listed in 1 Timothy. That was an extremely long and humbling experience and made me reflect on my relationship with God and how that relationship is manifested in service, family, parenting and my career.

According to the Bible, what does an “elder” do?

Titus describes an elder as one who “manages God's household.” Titus also says that an Elder “can encourage others by sound doctrine and refute those who oppose it.” This general description is used to further refine the duties of an Elder in each church. You’ll find that Elders at different churches have different specific roles depending on the size and needs of the church.

So, what’s the role of an “elder” at Journey of Faith?

First and foremost, we are servants of God. We all want God’s will for Journey of Faith and the congregation. In that, the Elders have a few different functions. Journey has a set of by-laws that require things like membership and the budget be approved by the Elder board. We also may be asked to assist in other needs such as prayer and involvement in committees.

Our primary responsibility is to oversee the spiritual health, mission, vision, and values of Journey in a way that supports our Core Beliefs. We work closely with you, the Lead Pastor, to do this, which is why the church’s by-laws make the Lead Pastor a member of the Elder board.

We try to stay out of the details. At Journey, we have a dedicated group of gifted and talented people – our staff. Our staff is made up of a team that God has called to serve at Journey of Faith. They have the education, experience, and expertise needed to execute God’s vision. They take care of the details. The Elders provide boundaries, structure, and guidelines within which staff can fulfill the mission for the church. We sometimes refer to this area within these boundaries as a “sandbox” in which staff operates.

Can you tell us more about the sandbox?

Our sandbox has four boundaries. We call them the 4 B’s...

On one side you’ll find our Beliefs. These are the Core Beliefs. Our Core Beliefs serve as the foundation of everything we do, including every message taught at Journey. We may have different views on secondary theological issues, but the core beliefs are what we all agree on. You can find WHAT WE BELIEVE on our website.

On another side, you’ll find our by-laws. These are the governing guidelines for us to legally operate as a church and organization. They define how we govern ourselves as a church non-profit. We are always making sure we are in compliance with our by-laws.

On the third side is our Budget. God has blessed us with a generous congregation. We want to be godly stewards of our resources. The staff works hard to develop a responsible budget that supports the mission of Journey of Faith. The elders are responsible for approving the budget each year, and monitoring the financial health of the church based on the approved budget.

The fourth side of the sandbox is what we call Big Picture - our mission, values, and any large church initiatives. For example, three years ago we started planning to move from being a single campus church to a multisite church. This big-picture decision came to us as elders first. We prayed, discussed, looked at what this would involve and empowered staff to move forward.

Maintaining these boundaries of the sandbox is an awesome responsibility that we do not hold lightly or take for granted. I am continually humbled having the opportunity to serve in this manner.

How involved are you in day-to-day decision making at the church?

The day-to-day decisions you’re probably referring to are made by staff. We stay out of the weeds and focus on the bigger picture – going back to the boundaries of the sandbox. You keep us informed of the successes and challenges staff is facing, and what God is doing in the church. You and staff come to us when you need guidance.

There are occasions where we do get into the sandbox with staff. I have greatly appreciated how you and staff request our feedback and guidance on difficult decisions you have to make, not because you have to, but because you want our involvement and want to keep us informed. Including more wisdom from different perspectives adds great value to the outcome.

Do you ever disagree with each other?

We are a diverse group. We all hold to the Core Beliefs but often bring to the team different perspectives and experiences. I love the way we are able to discuss our different opinions and feelings on an issue with total respect for each other. We bring all of this together, have a great discussion and come to an agreement on a direction to take. I have really enjoyed walking with you and the other elders through this process. I have learned so much from all of you.

What’s the difference between the Elder Board and the Executive Team?

The Executive Team is made of specific members of the church staff, including you (Jason). The Executive Team provides day-to-day leadership of the church staff. When Journey was smaller, that duty was held by the Senior Pastor and Executive Pastor. Journey of Faith now serves over 3,000 people at two campuses, and God is doing amazing things with and through our church. So much that a different leadership model was needed to spread responsibilities over a team of gifted women and men. At the moment, this team includes Jill Lewolt, Sharon Peirce, Krista Reyna, Blair Farley, Alex Grahmann, Greg Piken, and you.

How does someone become an elder?

Each Spring a Nominating Committee is formed. They are responsible for gathering names of potential elders from the congregation. The current elders and staff take the list of people gathered by the Committee and consider who might be a good fit for the role. We look for the qualities listed in 1 Timothy: seasoned ministry experience, a passion for the vision of the church, and the ability to lead through change with a calm and patient spirit. Journey has been around for over 100 years. Through that time, we have stayed true to our core beliefs. We have had to constantly implement new methods to reach new generations and effectively teach others about Jesus and God’s love for us. Therefore, we need elders who know how to lead through an environment that is constantly changing and adapting.

What is the most significant thing you have learned while serving as an elder?

Leadership is hard. There are difficult decisions that must be made, even in a church. We have to take time to delve into God’s Word so our decisions are in constant alignment with His Word. We have to continually seek what God wants for Journey of Faith and make decisions that execute His will, not our own. We have to trust ourselves and openly share our thoughts, then come to complete alignment on all of our decisions.

I have learned more about thinking big. By profession, I am an engineer. Engineers are trained to look at details. As an elder, I have to look beyond the details and look ahead without getting bogged down by the details.

How can we be praying for you and all the leaders at Journey of Faith?

Pray first and foremost that we are always doing God’s will and that we are executing His will in love. Pray that God gives us wisdom as we make decisions. Pray that God gives us peace when we are facing change in ways we’ve never experienced before. God will stretch us. Only through refining will we grow, learn and mature.

Chip, thanks for your leadership, prayer, and using your gifts to serve at Journey of Faith.

]]>Wild! Daily Reading Planhttps://www.journeyoffaith.com/journey-news/wild-daily-reading-plan/
https://www.journeyoffaith.com/journey-news/wild-daily-reading-plan/Wed, 06 Mar 2019 08:00:00 +0000Who is this man Jesus? He challenged people’s comfort, did outrageously miraculous things, taught really radical ideas, and took risks when other people wanted to play it safe. He’s wild!
Between now and Easter we are going to take a look at this...Journey of FaithWho is this man Jesus? He challenged people’s comfort, did outrageously miraculous things, taught really radical ideas, and took risks when other people wanted to play it safe. He’s wild!

Between now and Easter we are going to take a look at this wild revolutionary and ask ourselves: Is this the Jesus I am following? Fasten your seat belts and read along with us on this 42-day journey as we hit the high points of Jesus’ untamed life!

To help you in your reading, we recommend the “SOAP” method of study:

S – Scripture:

Take time reading and allow God to speak to you; don’t rush. Look for one verse that particularly stands out. Write it in your journal.

O – Observation:

What do you think God is saying in this Scripture? Rewrite the passage using your own words.

A – Application:

Ask yourself how this Scripture applies to your life right now. What about this passage can apply to you today? How will you be different today because of what you have just read?

P – Prayer:

Quiet your heart and listen to what God is speaking to you. Ask God to help you apply the principles of this Scripture to your life. Write out your prayer.

Daily Readings:

Day 1 Mark 1:1-15

Day 2 Mark 1:16-34

Day 3 Mark 1:35-2:5

Day 4 Mark 2:6-22

Day 5 Mark 2:23-3:12

Day 6 Mark 3:13-30

Day 7 Mark 3:31-4:9

Day 8 Mark 4:10-25

Day 9 Mark 4:26-41

Day 10 Mark 5:1-13

Day 11 Mark 5:14-29

Day 12 Mark 5:30-43

Day 13 Mark 6:1-13

Day 14 Mark 6:14-29

Day 15 Mark 6:30-44

Day 16 Mark 6:45-7:13

Day 17 Mark 7:14-30

Day 18 Mark 7:31-8:10

Day 19 Mark 8:11-26

Day 20 Mark 8:27-38

Day 21 Mark 9:1-16

Day 22 Mark 9:17-32

Day 23 Mark 9:33-50

Day 24 Mark 10:1-12

Day 25 Mark 10:13-31

Day 26 Mark 10:32-45

Day 27 Mark 10:46-11:11

Day 28 Mark 11:12-26

Day 29 Mark 11:27-12:6

Day 30 Mark 12:7-17

Day 31 Mark 12:18-34

Day 32 Mark 12:35-13:4

Day 33 Mark 13:5-20

Day 34 Mark 13:21-37

Day 35 Mark 14:1-16

Day 36 Mark 14:17-31

Day 37 Mark 14:32-47

Day 38 Mark 14:48-65

Day 39 Mark 14:66-15:8

Day 40 Mark 15:9-32

Day 41 Mark 15:33-47

Day 42 Mark 16:1-20

]]>Doing Life Togetherhttps://www.journeyoffaith.com/journey-news/doing-life-together/
https://www.journeyoffaith.com/journey-news/doing-life-together/Fri, 15 Feb 2019 08:00:00 +0000The subject line was “Sad news from the Lewolts”. I was heartbroken and numb as I wrote an email to our life group to tell them about our miscarriage. It was the kind of news that should be done in person, except these were the people who had been...Jill LewoltThe subject line was “Sad news from the Lewolts”. I was heartbroken and numb as I wrote an email to our life group to tell them about our miscarriage. It was the kind of news that should be done in person, except these were the people who had been praying for us for over a year to get pregnant, and I was too devastated to say the words out loud. After I pressed send there were instant replies of support and love. They brought gifts and meals without being asked. They let me share my deepest struggles and doubts surrounding me in strength, encouragement, and prayer. The intentional way that this group cared for me was lifesaving.

Three years before that email, my husband and I were newlyweds at a new church and in a new community. One of our highest priorities was to join a life group so that we make friends with others who wanted to grow spiritually and to live life together. Our “young married couples with no kids” life group was formed and every week eight couples crammed into our small apartment for snacks, ice breakers, and intentional conversation about the Bible and marriage.

Sometimes we laugh when we look back at the early days of the group. At that stage of life there was plenty of sleep and enough money. Intimacy was easy and stress was light. We shared about the hard parts of marriage, like who would take out the trash and how to politely convince your spouse to get rid of the junk stuff they had before you were married. We didn’t realize that God was using this time to lay the foundations of love, trust, and friendship.

Over the years the prayer requests have become more serious and we have learned to be more honest and vulnerable about the difficulties in our lives and marriages. We have supported one another through hard diagnoses, death of parents, changing jobs, moving across the country, growing families, anxiety and depression, the list could go on… But I have come to realize that hiding sorrow, shame, or even sin from those in your faith community is limiting the opportunity to love unconditionally, course correct graciously, and share the weight of life’s burdens when it is too much to handle.

As we have grown together in Christ, it has become clear that there is nothing we wouldn’t do for one another. But even more than that, we are committed to supporting one another’s marriages. While none of our marriages are perfect, they are all better because we have each other.

Our life group has had couples come into it and move out of it, but the deep commitment to love and support will never change. Over the last seven years, we have added 21 kids (including two wonderful, miracle daughters of mine) to this life group and the most beautiful thing is happening. Our kids are growing up surrounded by best friends and a faith community that cares for one another in tangible ways every chance they get!

]]>When Things Changehttps://www.journeyoffaith.com/journey-news/when-things-change/
https://www.journeyoffaith.com/journey-news/when-things-change/Fri, 25 Jan 2019 08:00:00 +0000Since taking on the role of Lead Pastor over three years ago, I have had the joy of leading this church through some times of significant change. We’ve had changes to our ministry offerings, staffing, and how we communicate in our messages. Change...Jason CusickSince taking on the role of Lead Pastor over three years ago, I have had the joy of leading this church through some times of significant change. We’ve had changes to our ministry offerings, staffing, and how we communicate in our messages. Change isn’t easy, but I believe the changes we’ve experienced have helped us continue our mission and continue to be the kind of church that welcomes everyone and helps people find and follow Jesus. Those are the most important things... and may they never change!

I am writing today to announce some changes happening in our Worship Arts leadership. For the last year, the Executive Team and I, along with Worship Arts staff, have been working to define new systems and structure to support our mission, continued growth, and improvement here at Journey of Faith. As most of you are aware, we have already seen some transitions from our team and today we are announcing that Mark Portis will be transitioning off staff at the end of February. All of you know and have been impacted by Mark’s leadership over the years. Please take a moment to read Mark’s words:

I’m humbled and grateful to have had the opportunity of serving on staff as Pastor of Worship Arts for the past 14 years. My heart is filled with great memories and while I’ll miss seeing all of you on a weekly basis, I know that many relationships will continue into the future. Linda and I have complete trust that God has something in store for this next season and are excited to begin the process of discerning and discovering what that will look like. Thank you, Journey family, for your investment into our lives and for consistently demonstrating your love for God and one another. It has been a joyful privilege to worship alongside you, giving thanks and praise to our gracious God for what He’s done, is doing, and will continue to do in the future.To Him be all the glory.

While Mark’s season here at Journey is coming to a close, we are so excited for what God has both for him and for Journey as we continue to form and shape our teams. Please continue to lift up Mark and Linda in your prayers.

Many of you read about Blair Farley taking lead on a new role that includes a new combined area of Communications, Tech, and Worship Arts. Our last year has helped us see how closely these areas work and Blair will be working closely with me and the rest of the team to ensure that our next season of worship will build on the great foundation Mark has built over his many years of service. We are in the process of identifying candidates for the new role of Worship Director which will be different than what we have had. We will keep you up-to-date as we move through the hiring process. If you have any questions about the process or the future of our Worship Arts ministry, please reach out to Blair at any time. He would be happy to talk to you.

]]>The Best Kept Secret to Reading the Bible in a Yearhttps://www.journeyoffaith.com/journey-news/the-best-kept-secret-to-reading-the-bible-in-a-year/
https://www.journeyoffaith.com/journey-news/the-best-kept-secret-to-reading-the-bible-in-a-year/Thu, 10 Jan 2019 08:00:00 +0000It’s January, so many of us are picking up our Bibles and saying, “Okay, I’m going to finally read the whole Bible!” There is a rush of enthusiasm and optimism that comes with reading the words “In the beginning.” But in a few months, the excitement...Jason CusickIt’s January, so many of us are picking up our Bibles and saying, “Okay, I’m going to finally read the whole Bible!” There is a rush of enthusiasm and optimism that comes with reading the words “In the beginning.” But in a few months, the excitement will be replaced with confusion and feelings of defeat. Why? I believe most Through-the-Whole-Bible reading plans fail for one simple reason and when I learned what it was, it changed the way I read the Bible.

Everything we read is intended to be read in a different way. Instructional manuals give how-to directions, news reports summarize current events, stories invite us into the lives of interesting characters, and jokes are designed to make us laugh. When we start reading something, we are already deciding how to read it. For example, when you hear the words “Once upon a time” you know you are reading a fairy tale which means you’ll have a romantic plot, some supernatural or magical elements, and some kind of moral tale which probably ends with a “happily every after.”

Knowing the kind of writing will help you know how to read it. The the same holds true for the Bible. The Bible is a collection of different kinds of writings, intended to be read in different ways. There are stories, poetry, legal code, cryptic symbolism, and advice manuals. These are called genres. This is the most important key in reading through the whole Bible.

For example, the Bible begins with a series of stories (or narratives). From Genesis to Exodus Chapter 20, we have a variety of fascinating stories of flawed human beings and their imperfect interactions with the God of creation. But as Moses goes up on the holy mountain to hear from God, the genre changes from story narrative to legal code. And by the third book of the Bible, Leviticus, we need a paralegal to help us sort it out!

I was talking to a friend who hit this very moment in reading through the Bible. He said, “I was really into this story of Moses hearing from God and then I was reading all these laws! And I just lost interest. What happened?” I said, “Keep reading, just read differently. Moses went up on the mountain to hear how the Israelites were supposed to live for God. Now you’re going to read the laws God told Moses. They are about religion, family, farming, social justice, and real estate. It’s not a story, it’s law. Try to find the logic behind the laws and then it will get back into the story.”

Here are a few pieces of advice about how to read the Bible through its various genres:

1. Notice when the genre changes.

Changes in genre require a shift in thinking. I already mentioned the Exodus 20 change from story/narrative to law. There are more of these changes in the first part of the Bible than in the New Testament. When you get stuck in your reading, it could be that the author has changed genres. Go with the author.

2. Read the genres according to their rules.

History reads differently than poetry. Jesus’ simple teaching stories read differently than the cryptic warnings of the prophets. Like any other kind of literature, knowing some simple “rules” about how to read a genre can help. Here’s a link to some basic ways to read Bible genres.

3. Keep your eye on the Bible’s BIG STORY.

While the Bible has different writing styles and is writing throughout the centuries to different people, it actually has one big thread running through it all. The Bible records the story of a loving God pursuing relationship with wayward human beings. It’s a love story that starts with creation, spanning time and culture, to the making of a new creation, with Jesus the Messiah as the center of God’s redemptive story.

One more thought… reading the Bible from cover to cover is awesome but not the only way to do it, especially because not all the books of the Bible are arranged chronologically. You can read it in segments (ex. Genesis-Deuteronomy, The Minor Prophets, Matthew-John, all of Paul’s Letters), or there are many other Bible reading plans out there to go by.

Whatever approach you take, reading the whole Bible is a wonderful way to learn all that God has said and revealed throughout the centuries. And reading different genres helps us appreciate God’s diverse ways of communicating to all the different kinds of people He has created and loves.

]]>We Believe in Teamshttps://www.journeyoffaith.com/journey-news/we-believe-in-teams/
https://www.journeyoffaith.com/journey-news/we-believe-in-teams/Thu, 13 Dec 2018 08:00:00 +0000I often get asked the question: How does leadership work at Journey of Faith? We really believe in teams at Journey of Faith.
Today I want to take a moment to introduce our Executive Team and specifically welcome our new team member Blair Farley...Jason CusickI often get asked the question: How does leadership work at Journey of Faith? We really believe in teams at Journey of Faith.

Today I want to take a moment to introduce our Executive Team and specifically welcome our new team member Blair Farley, our Executive Director of Experience. Most of what we do happens through our teams of volunteers who use their gifts and availability to make our mission happen. Everything from our parking teams to our overseeing Elders, our volunteers lead much of what we do. Thank you for everything you do as a volunteer to lead Journey of Faith!

We also have a great team of paid staff who oversee, plan and coordinate many of the details of our church ministry. Our staff is here to help further equip and empower people for ministry (Ephesians 4:12). We’re going to use this eNews format to help you meet and get to know our staff and volunteers better.

Finally, we have a small team that helps support and lead at a macro-level. We call this our Executive Team. This team includes: Jason Cusick (Lead Pastor), Alex Grahmann (Multisite Ministry), Jill Lewolt (Kids and Students), Greg Piken (Community Life), Sharon Peirce (Operations), and Krista Reyna (Executive Coordinator).

And this month, we’re happy to welcome another team member to our Executive Team. His name is Blair Farley. Blair is new to our staff and will be serving as Executive Director of Experience (referring to the “Sunday Experience” and all the various ministries that converge in our worship services). He’ll be leading our worship, communications, tech, and creative arts teams. He has a great background in these areas from his previous ministry at Mariners and The Rock Church in San Diego.

]]>Being a Pastor of a “Baptist” Church, Part 2https://www.journeyoffaith.com/journey-news/being-a-pastor-of-a-baptist-church-part-2/
https://www.journeyoffaith.com/journey-news/being-a-pastor-of-a-baptist-church-part-2/Fri, 28 Sep 2018 07:00:00 +0000The following is a continuation of Pastor Jason's article "Being a Pastor of a 'Baptist' Church." Click here to read Part 1.
4. Every Follower of Jesus is a MinisterThe distinction between clergy and congregation is (or...Jason CusickThe following is a continuation of Pastor Jason's article "Being a Pastor of a 'Baptist' Church." Click here to read Part 1.

4. Every Follower of Jesus is a MinisterThe distinction between clergy and congregation is (or should be) small in Baptist churches because Baptists have historically believed in something called the “Priesthood of All Believers.” Every follower can go directly to God (without the aid of a priest), study and understand God’s Word (without a formal teaching magisterium), and serve in ministry (without a title, degree, or ordination), and share Jesus’ love with others. A Baptist church's form of government, titles, ordinations, and policies, are there for order and organization so everyone can be empowered to use their spiritual gifts to serve others (Eph. 4:11-16, 1 Peter 4:10-11).

What are your gifts and are you serving?

5. Church and State Should Remain SeparateBaptistic churches are historically “anti-establishment." Given human history’s record of religions become instruments of political power against the weak, Baptists believe in religious freedom (a natural extension of the first distinctive of personal conscience). They don't ignore civic engagement and strongly encourage involvement in culture, but believe that God has created the church and the state separately for different tasks (Matthew 16:18, Romans 13). A core distinctive of baptistic theology is that the state should not tell people what to believe and that Christianity should not become the state/national religion. Sadly, this is an area of great temptation and failure among many Christians and a distinctive worth revisiting in more depth.

How do you encourage freedom of belief for all people?

6. Churches Should Work TogetherBaptist churches believe in independence and interdependence. They believe that church decisions about theology, governance, organization, and leadership should happen at a local and congregational level. While Baptist churches are sometimes part of larger denominational groups, they prefer to call themselves "affiliations" or "movements" so as to emphasize their autonomy and free-will association with other like-minded churches. This distinctive is a natural outflow of the importance of the Bible (which appears to model independent churches freely associating with each other) and their anti-establishment caution against larger hierarchies and power structures. This frees them up to make a positive difference in the world without having their message confused.Ultimately, I'm a Christian, not a Baptist. And when it comes to churches, no church is perfect because churches are simply gatherings of self-professed sinners in need of God's grace.